Law is a discipline that seeks to define and regulate society. It distinguishes governed communities from spontaneous ones. Law consists of rules that are deliberately chosen. Various disciplines and political systems have varying definitions of law. In this article, we will look at the main concepts, and the various disciplines within law.
Law serves many purposes, including the preservation of the status quo, promoting social justice, and orderly social change. Different legal systems have varying degrees of success in serving these purposes. For example, authoritarian systems often oppress minorities and political opponents. Also, in colonial times, law was imposed in an effort to keep a country at peace, such as Britain and France.
Historically, legal philosophers have attempted to define the relationship between law and reason. The relationship between law and reason is of particular interest to legal philosophers, as well as the relationship between law and morality. For example, they have explored the relationship between law and the rule of law, and how the rule of law affects the nature of human behavior.
Regulation is another important area of law. Often referred to as public law, regulation deals with the provision of utilities and public services. A common example of this type of law is water law. Privatisation has removed some of these functions from public administration, but private companies that perform previously controlled government jobs are subject to various social obligations. Many OECD countries have laws to regulate the activities of energy, gas, water, and telecomms firms.